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Dynasties - The Old Kingdom
Egyptian dating is expressed
by ruling families - dynasties.
The historian Manetho (270
BC) wrote a history of Egypt
giving the number of
dynasties, the number of
kings, their names and the
length of each reign.
The Old Kingdom
From the 1st dynasty 3I00 2890
BC to the 8th dynasty 2181-
2125 BC
1st dynasty 3I00 2890 BC
- Narmer
- Aha
- Djer
- Djet
- Den
- Anedjib
- Semerkhet
- Qaa
Before the first dynasty Egypt
was in fact two
lands. The unifier of these
lands, in folk tales,
was a fellow called Menes and
known as the
first mortal king of Egypt. The
Greek historian
Herodotus, records that this king
founded the
capital, Memphis, by damming the
Nile to
reclaim land for the city.
During this time papyrus was
invented and as a
consequence writing was used as
an
administrative tool of
government. This
created the conditions for
prosperity, which
can be seen in the magnificent
artefacts that
have been found from this period.
2nd dynasty 2890-2686 BC
- Hetepsekhemwy
- Raneb
- Nynetjer
- Peribsen
- Khasekhem
- (Khasekhemwy)
At the end of the 1st dynasty
there appears to
have been rival claimant's for
the
throne. The
successful claimants Horus
name,
Hetepsekhemwy, translates as
"peaceful in
respect of the two powers" this
may be a
reference to the opposing gods
Horus and
Seth, or an understanding reached
between
two rival factions. But the
political rivalry was
never fully resolved and in time
the situation
worsened into conflict. The
fourth pharaoh,
Peribsen, took the title of Seth
instead of
Horus and the last ruler of the
dynasty,
Khasekhemwy, took both titles. A
Horus/Seth
name meaning "arising in respect
of the two
powers," and "the two lords are
at peace in
him." Towards the end of this
dynasty,
however, there seems to have been
more
disorder and possibly civil war.
3rd dynasty 2686 2613 BC
- Sanakht
- Djoser
- Sekhemkhet
- Huni
This period is one of the
landmarks of Human
history. A prosperous age and the
appearance
of the worlds first great
monumental building -
the Pyramid. The artistic
masterpieces in the
tombs of the nobles show the
martial wealth of
this time
Djoser - one of the outstanding
kings of
Egypt. His Step Pyramid at
Saqqara is the first
large stone building and the
forerunner of later
pyramids.
4th dynasty 2613 2494 BC
- Sneferu
- Cheops
- Radjedef
- Chephren
- Menkaura
- Shepseskaf
Egypt was able to accomplish the
ambitious
feat of the Giza pyramids because
there had
been a long period of peace and
no threats of
invasion. So their energies were
spent in
cultivating art to it's highest
forms.
The fourth dynasty came from
Memphis and
the fifth from the south in
Elephantine. The
transition from one ruling family
to another
appears to have been peaceful.
5th dynasty 2494 2345 BC
- Userkaf
- Sahura
- Neferirkara Kakai
- Shepseskara Isi
- Raneferef
- Nyuserra
- Menkauhor Akauhor
- Djedkara Isesi
- Unas
The first two kings of the fifth
dynasty, were
sons of a lady, Khentkaues, who
was a
member of the fourth dynasty
royal family.
There was an institutionalisation
of officialdom
and high officials for the first
time came from
outside the royal family.
The pyramids are smaller and less
solidly
constructed than those of the
fourth dynasty,
but the carvings from the
mortuary temples are
well preserved and of the highest
quality.
There are surviving papyri from
this period
which demonstrate well developed
methods of
accounting and record keeping.
They
document the redistribution of
goods between
the royal residence, the temples,
and officials.
6th dynasty 2345 2181 BC
- Teti
- Userkara
- Pepy I
- Merenra
- Pepy II
There are many inscriptions from
the sixth
dynasty. These include records of
trading
expeditions to the south from the
reigns of
Pepi I. One of the most
interesting is a letter
written by Pepy II.
The pyramid of Pepi II at
southern Saqqara is
the last major monument of the
Old Kingdom.
None of the names of kings of the
short-lived
seventh dynasty are known and the
eighth
dynasty shows signs of and
political decay.
First Intermediate Period
7th and 8th dynasties 2181- 2125 BC
About this time the Old Kingdom state collapsed.
Egypt simultaneously suffered political failure and
environmental disaster. There was famine, civil
disorder and a rise in the death rate. With the
climate of Northeast Africa becoming dryer,
combined with low inundations of the Nile and the
cemeteries rapidly filling, this was not a good time
for the Egyptians.
The years following the death of Pepy II are most
obscure. The only person from this era to have left
an impression on posterity is a woman called
Nitokris who appears to have acted as king. There
are no contemporary records but Herodotus wrote
of her:
'She killed hundreds of Egyptians to avenge
the king, her brother, whom his subjects had
killed, and had forced her to succeed. She
did this by constructing a huge underground
chamber. Then invited to a banquet all
those she knew to be responsible for her
brother's death. When the banquet was
underway, she let the river in on them,
through a concealed pipe. After this fearful
revenge, she flung herself into a room filled
with embers, to escape her punishment.'
For a time petty warlords ruled the provinces. Then
from the city of Herakleopolis there emerged a
ruling family led by one Khety who for a time held
sway over the whole country. However, this was
short lived and the country split into North, ruled
from Herakleopolis and South, ruled from Thebes.
Whereas the Theban dynasty was stable, kings
succeeded one another rapidly at Herakleopolis.
There was continual conflict between the two lands
which was resolved in the 11th dynasty.
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